Little Hayfield

5 October 2016

Little Hayfield, Birch Vale, Peep 'O Day, Bowden Bridge , Twenty trees, Little Hayfield 

Distance:10 miles.

Difficulty: Moderate.

Weather: Sunshine

Walkers: Greg Barret, Micky Barret, Tom Cunliffe, Colin Davison, Mark Gibby, Steve Kemp, George Whaites.

B walkers: none

Apologies: Alan Hart, Peter Beal (stuck in concrete?), Laurie Fairman (Letching on a cruise ship), George Dearsley ( stuck in a Turkey), Jock Rooney ( stuck in aMan)

Leader: Cunliffe 

Diarist: Davison

Start point: Lantern Pike Inn

Starting time: 9.40am. 

Finishing time: 2.20pm. 

Despite Mr Cunliffe's usual tardiness, our party assembled roughly on time .

The route:

We set off downhill past the Mill and turned left along the bridleway known to the Wanderers as the Giggle Gaggle Way to the back road between New Mills and Hayfield. Here we turned right.

After 100yds we climbed a stile on the left and followed the path to a track where we turned right. 50yds further on another stile on the left led us down across a field to the Birch Vale Mill Lodge. We crossed the dam and the Sett Valley Trail to emerge in Birch Vale on the A6105.

Directly across the road, Moorland road stretches straight up Ollerset Moor for half a mile. We followed this to a gate and continued upwards over moorland, pausing briefly for pietime, to the summit wall. Here, after some indecision on the part of our leader (half mile detour), we turned right on the far side.

We followed the ridge with a gale force side wind to the Big Stone at the head of the allotments where we turned sharp left downhill to pick up the track to Peep 'O Day. 

Over the Glossop Road we turned left and then right into the bridleway signposted to Hayfield. At the T junction we went straight ahead through a stile and followed the path which in turn became a track and a road to Bowden Bridge.

Crossing this we turned left towards Hayfield to the Sportsman Inn where the Marston’s bitter was on form at £3.25 a pint. Other beers were said to be acceptable and Mr Gibby smacked his lips over the landlord’s lime and soda mix.

Refreshed, we continue along the road to the start of the Snake Path on the right. This we followed pausing for a lunch break below Twenty Trees which, as we all know, consist but nineteen.

Passing through the gate in the wall to Middle Moor we took the narrow path straight ahead through the heather to Park Hall. Through the gate we turned left to the Glossop Road and right back to the Lantern Pike Inn.

Here the lovely Stella furnished us with the best chip butties this side of heaven until we near burst. The beer’s pretty good too but don’t tell Tom.

Next week’s walk will start at 10.00 am at the Queen’s Arms, Taddington. If the gods are with us, we shall visit the Church Inn at Chelmorton at lunchtime.

Happy wandering.